Keywords
English literature, English classrooms, English teachers, English classics
Submission Type
Commentary
Preview
It took me nearly thirty years to be assigned to teach English literature. Although my undergraduate and graduate training in English focused heavily on literature from Britain, my teaching assignments usually involved grammar and composition and literature from the United States. In my district, English literature is a twelfth grade elective course, and those who teach it usually teach it for as long as they can. My opportunity came when the usual English literature teacher became ill and had to retire. To my amazement no one else in the department wanted to teach the course. I willingly, happily, and enthusiastically offered my services to teach it. I was assigned five years ago, and now, as the head of the department, if I have any say in who teaches what, I will be teaching the class until I retire. I simply love reading the classics again and again. I love sharing with my students the ideas found therein. I love involving my students in the learning of what may seem to be ancient, outdated texts, but in reality are works that are immediately relevant to modern life.
Recommended Citation
McCaffrey, Ellen
(2004)
"My Students and English Literature,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 32, Article 16.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol32/iss1/16